Calculating machine



July 10, 1945. E. F BRlTTEN, JR 2,379,877

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Patented July 10, 19 45 CALCULATING MACHINE Edwin F. Britten, Jr., Short Hills, N. J., assignor to Monroe Calculating Machine Company, Orange, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application November 13, 1941, Serial No. 418,984

3 Claims.

The invention relates to calculating machines, and particularly to means for performing multiplication automatically upon entering the factors and starting the machine in operation.

The method of multiplicationv employed is that of repeated addition, modified by the well-known use of subtraction toefiect short cuts; multiplication by 9 for instance being effected by adding the'multip'licand once in the next higher denominational order and subtracting it once in the order being" computed. Also, if an addition and one or more subtraction operations are both indicated for any onedenominational order, the number of subtraction operations may be reduced by one" and the addition operation eliminated. Means are'employed for storing a constant multipli'er .value, which" may thereafter be used to automatically, control the multiplication operation.

Anobject of the invention is to provide an improved machine capable of performing automatically positive; short-cut positive, negative and short cut negative multiplication operations. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter. i

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth in the-claims;

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the keyboard, the registering means and the multiplier setting means of the machine, being substantially the same as Figure l of theU. S. patent toBritt'en, hereinafter referred to.

Figure la, is a detail plan view of the multiplier counting out devices, being substantially the same asFlgure 2- of said patent.

Figure 2 is a left side elevation of the machine,

showing the calculating cycle starting and stoppingm'eans, the-invention being shown as applied,

and being similar to Figure 4 of the British patent hereinafter referred to, with certain modifications.

Figures 3- and 5 are detail partially diagrammatic side views, of the automatically settable lever, the slide borne thereby, the latch for the slide, etc showing the parts in position for adjusting the clutch member for controlling the sign character of successive registrations in positive multiplicationoperations.

Figures 4 and 6 are detail views similar to Fi ures 3 and 5 and showing the parts in'position for adjusting the clutch member for controlling the sign character of successive registrations in negative multiplication operations.

Figure 6a is a detail side View of the reverse side of the automatically settable lever, the slide borne thereby, and associated parts, showing the spring for restoring the. slide.

' Figure 7 is a detail perspective View of the automatically settable lever, the slide borne thereby, the latch for theslide, the rock shaft and its crank arm for disengaging the latch, one of the control fingers and the cam for setting the same for adjusting the clutch member for plus or minus character of operation of the machine, and other associated parts.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the negative multiplication lever, adjusted to rearward position; the slidable clutch member adjusted accordingly, the parts connecting with the rock shaft for adjusting the slide, and other associated parts.

Figure 8a is a detail fragmentary perspective view showing the slidable clutch member in normal position.

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of the negative multiplication lever, the restoring means therefor in efiective position and the means for rendering the restoring means inefiective.

Figure 9a is a detail fragmentary perspective view, showing the restoring means in ineffective position."

Figure 10 is a detail partially diagrammatic perspective view showing the differential reversing gearing, its branched gear train connection with the spaced gears, and other associated parts.

The invention is shown'as applied to a Monroe calculating machine the essential features of which are disclosed in the British Patent No. 509,747, and the prior art therein referred to, as modified by the disclosure of the U. S patent to E'. F. Britten, Jr., No. 2,201,713, dated May 21, 1940.

According to these disclosures, amounts set up on the differential actuators 5 of the machine upon depression of the value entering keys I8 oi the keyboard are registered in the numeral Wheels 13 either additively or subtractively according to the direction of rotation of the actuator shaft 4 and the shaft I54 upon which the tens carry members are mounted. Shafts 4 and I54 are connected at l0] (Fi 2) with an electric motor (not shown) through suitable gearing including differential reversing gearing I05, H0, shown in part in said figure and constituting oppositely driven clutch elements. Normally this differential gearing runs idly and no rotation is transmitted therefrom to said actuators, but upon operation of suitable control means engagement by means of revolution counting fingers in the usual manner.

The numeral wheels I3 and 85 are mounted upon a shiftable carriage 2, utilized in the well known manner, said carriage having its movements controlled as disclosed in said patents.

In performing multiplication the carriage 2 is shifted to the left, preferably into the extreme left hand position wherein the right hand numeral wheel I3 will be in line with the right hand column of keys I8.

The value entering keys I6 are adapted upon depression to rock bails I9 and thereby set selected values into the multiplicand register actuators 5 and into the multiplier control wheel actuators 6, a plurality of columns of these elements being provided into which a complete multiplier and thereafter a complete multiplicand are entered.

The multiplier having been entered by means of the keys I8, the shaft 1 will be given a single rotation and the multiplier actuators 6 will transmit the values entered therein through intermediate gearing 316 and 311 to the multiplier storage wheels 3.

The multiplicand is now entered in the actuators 5 upon depression of the keys I8 and there after the actuator shaft 4 is repeatedly rotated under control of the wheels 3, thereby efiecting a repeated registration of the multiplicand in the register wheels I3 to represent the product. Control cams 61 are secured to the hubs of the storage gears 3 and as said gears 3 are displaced in accordance with the multiplier digit during the set-up cycle of the machine, said cams are rotated counterclockwise.

Fast upon a transverse shaft I24 (Figs. 1 and la) pivotally supported in the framing of the multiplying unit, is a series of cams I25, there being one of said cams for each denominational order of the machine, arranged helically around shaft I24. These cams I25 are adapted to cooperate with related control fingers I26, settable by cams 61 for adjusting the aforesaid clutch member for plus or minus character of operation of the machine. Plus-minus control fingers I26 are pivotally supported on a rod I21 fast upon a transverse bail I28, fast to a transverse shaft I29 (Figs. 1 and 2) pivotally supported in the right and left hand framing of the multiplying unit. Shaft I29 extends through the left hand main framing of the machine and has secured to this end thereof a rearwardly extending arm I30. Pivotally supported upon arm I30 is a lever I3I provided with a pair of spaced projections I32, I33. So long as the reversing control finger I26 engages the low portion of cam 61, projection I32 will lie adjacent and rearwardly of a projection I34 of a bell crank lever I35, fulcrumed to the framing at I36, while projection I33 will lie rearwardly of and beneath the projection I31 of said bell crank lever. Lever I3I has pin and slot connection I38 with an arm I39 fast to shaft I22, and as said shaft is rocked counterclockwise as described in British Patent 509,747, arm I39 will ator shaft 4. The counting fingers I45 are norsit rock the lever I3I clockwise, whereupon projection I32 engaging projection I34 will rock lever I counterlockwise. Lever I35 has pin and slot connection I with clutch lever III and will therefore rock said clutch lever to bring the arm I I4 thereof into engagement with member I05 of the reversing gearing, thereby initiating an additive cycle of operation of the machine.

Fast to the clutch lever I II is a pin I52, having engagement with a cam, notch I53 of an arm I56 pivoted to the framing at I55. During the above described movement of clutch lever II I, arm I56 will be rocked counterclockwise to engage the contacts of switch 99 and start the motor. Arm I56 has pin and slot connection I51 with the full cycle positioner arm I58 pivoted to the framing at I59. During the said movement of arm I56, arm I58 will be rocked downwardly and out of the path of movement of a rock arm I60 pivoted at I6I and operated through link I62 by crank arm I63 fast to cyclically driven shaft I64, forming part of the cycle stopping means.

As the multiplier storage gears 3 are successively restored step by step to normal position, the multiplying operation will be terminated in each denominational order, following which the carriage will be automatically shifted to the next higher order columnar position, and the machine will continue to function until the full multiplication operation is completed, the carriage being then automatically shifted to its extreme right hand position.

The wheels 3 are successively counted out or returned step by step to original position or advanced to a position diametrically opposite the original position depending upon whether the multiplicand is being entered directly or complementally by means of counting fingers I mounted on a shaft I43 which has one-to-one ratio gear connection with the multiplicand actumally held out of meshing relation with the teeth of the wheels 3 by spring means and are brought successively into meshing relation therewith during the multiplying operation by means of projections I41 mounted upon intermittently rotated shaft I24 and adapted to engage the cam surfaces of guides serving to slide the fingers I45 axially along shaft I 43.

As the wheels 3 are returned to their original or zero position, control means will be operated to interrupt the cyclic rotation of shaft 4; the shifting of the register carriage and the resumption of cyclic movement in the next ordinal position taking place in well known manner.

The constant multiplier value may be stored for futur use in the intermediate transmission-gears 311, to which end these gears are adapted to be shifted out of mesh with the teeth of the wheels 3, and are provided with zero setting means whereby the wheels may be individually restored to a fixed or zero position.

If a multiplier value is to be retained as a constant, it is first entered by means of the keys I8 and is set in the wheels 3 in the usual manner. Thereafter, and before the multiplying operation is started, the intermediate transmission gears 311 are shifted out of mesh with the teeth of the wheels 3, cleared to zero, and shifted back into mesh. As the wheels 3 are counted back to zero during a multiplying operation, the values are transferred therefrom into the gears 311. To set a stored multiplier value into the wheels 3, the gears 311 are cleared to zero while in mesh with the teeth of the wheels 3, this operation taking 2;'879;877 thej-place of the settingof aikey value -byrotation of shaft 1. It-is to he-observed that after a'constant multiplier value has 'b'een "stored in the gears "311, other multiplier values may be en'tered by means or the keys IB, 's'et in the wheels 3 and counted out without "disturbing the-constant multiplier value so stored and which maystill be used whenever desired. Itwill be further noted that "it will never 'be necessary to'clear a stored constant multiplier value from the gear's-fi'll by a special operation since this clearing takes place automatically in the en'tering of a new constant multiplier value in gears 81 i.

A "feeling ball 14 is -proviued With teethengagin zero notches of cams-68 fastltothe 'niultiplier storage wheels 3, this bail being held in ro cke'd position so long as "any value remains -set' in any of the said wheels 3 and having control connections disclosed in the British I'Patent :No. 5 3 for insuring operation of'th'e ma'chine until the entire multiplier value hasbeen'counted out.

The disclosure :of :said British patent provides for short cutting the multiplying operation by treating the higher value multiplier Z'diglts complementally. Thatis t'osay, an'operation involving amultiplier Bwill be efiected as plus lOmin'us '1 in two cycles of operation of themachlne.

As disclosed in the UsS. Patent No. 2,201,713, the setting of the unit in the higher-order multiplier storage wheel 3 is effected by m'e'ans of -a projection 293 (Fig. l) fixed :in "one :of the actuator elements 6 contacting with fa finger 2% provided witha toothextending .into the :zoneof the higher order wheel 316. Projection 293 having brought the tooth of finger 295 between the teeth of gear 316, a :cam 31 mounted on shaft 1 will operate parts'toicause such 'of the gears 316 as are engaged by a finger 2 95 -.to advance anadditional step of-movement. Thereafter the fingers 295 will be released fromthe projections 293-and allowed to be-restored to normal position.

In the disclosure of the said British patent there are provided multiplier storage wheels and means including an automatically settable device (lever I3I having spaced projections I32, I33) for automatically adjusting the clutch lever III into engagement with the clutch elements I05, III), to control the sign character of successive registrations in accordance with values stored in said wheels in positive multiplication operations.

In the machine of applicant there are provided means for automatically adjusting the clutch lever III into engagement with the clutch elements I05, II I], to control the sign character of successive registrations in accordance with values stored in said Wheels 3 in positive multiplication or alternatively in negative multiplication operations wherein the projections I32 and I33 form part of a slide 40, having pin and slot connection with the automatically settable lever I3I, and function as if they were a rigid part of said lever I SI for adjusting the clutch lever III as above stated. The slide 40 is also provided with projection I32 spaced slightly below projection I32 and the purpose of which will be explained. Said means for automatically adjusting the clutch lever I II for the purposes stated includes manipulable means for independently setting said slide 40 prior to the automatic setting of the lever I3I and said slide 40 as an entirety in a negative multiplication operation. This manipulable means includes negative multiplication lever 42, mounted at the right hand side of the machine and having link connection 43 with transverse rock shaft 44, the opposite end of said rock shaft having crank arm 45 provided with cam edge 46 engaging pin 41! for said slide 40. Upon manipulation oiithe negative multiplication lever 42 from normal or oil position, to rearward or on positiongth'e slide "'Will be camme'd'upwardly (Figs. 4 and 69., where it will be held by latch 41, urged by. its spring 48 into engagement below pin 49 of said slide. Manipulation of the negative multiplicationlever 'to rearward position also serves to adjust parts :to provide for the same directions'of rotation of the shaft I43 and of the counting fingers I fast thereonin negative as in positive multiplicationoperations .as will be described.

.In the position of the parts shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the projections I32 and I33 will function as if "they were anintegral part of lever I3I for adjusting the clutch lever I II into engagement with the clutch'elements I05, III], to control the sign character of successive registrations inaccordance with values stored in the multiplier storage wheels in negative multiplication operations.

Upon restoration of the negative multiplication lever to normal position, the free end 50 of crank arm 45 contacting ofiset 41 of latch 41 'will restore said latch to'normal position and thereby release slide '40,- which latter will then drop under the influence of spring 5| '(Figafia) toinorrnal position. I

The driven shaft of (the differential reversing gearing I05, IIU has gear train connection through two branches "52 and 53 f said train with spaced gears 54 and 55 both loose upon shaft I43 (Fig. 10), whereby said spaced gears are rotated in opposite directions; slidable clutch member '55 splined upon shaft I43 being engageable with clutch projection 51 of gear '54 or alternatively wiithclutch projection 58 of gear 55 to transmit movement of either of said spaced gears' to said shaft 143. I

slidable clutch'member 56 is engaged with the clutch projectionof the one spaced gear inp'ositive multiplication operations and with the clutch projection of the other spaced gear in negative multiplication operations. This engagement is effected by arm 59 'of link 43 (Fig. 8) having cam 60 contacting shift lever 6| fulcrumed at 62 to adjust the latter against the tension of spring 63 upon adjustment of the negative multiplication lever to rearward or on position, said shift lever being restored to normal position by said spring upon restoration of the negative multiplication lever to normal position.

The negative multiplication lever 42 is fulcrumed at 64 and has a slidable handle section 65 having slot and pin connection with the lower section of said lever, whereby said handle section may be adjusted from down to up position and vice versa.

The keyboard clear key (not shown) of the machine has operating connection with link 66 (Figs. 9 and 9a), the hooked free end III of which engages pin II of the negative multiplication lever to restore the latter from. rearward to normal forward position upon depression of said clear key; the slidable handle section of said lever having an offset I2 contacting said link 66 to raise the hooked free end thereof from engagement with pin II when said slidable section is adjusted to up position, in which latter case depression of the keyboard clear key will be ineffective to restore the negative multiplication lever from rearward to normal position.

The negative multiplication lever 42 is yieldably maintained in normal forward and in rearward positions by suitable locator means (Figs. 8 and 9) and is prevented from being adjusted Irom normal to rearward position during the functioning of the machine in positive multiplication operations by suitable releasable locking means.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine, the combination with a product register, and means for effecting plus or alternatively minus registrations therein including power driven reversible actuating means having a driving train provided with oppositely driven clutch elements and control means including a clutch member and manip ulable means for controlling said clutch member; of multiplier storage wheels, means for storing multiplier values therein in repeated registration multiplication operations, and means for automatically adjusting said clutch member into engagement with said clutch elements to control the sign character of successive registrations in accordance with values stored in said wheels in positive multiplication or alternatively in negative multiplication operations including a settable composite device having a part settable therewith and also independently settable, means cooperating with and controlled by said multiplier storage wheels for automatically setting said device as an entirety and manipulable means for independently setting said part prior to said automatic setting in negative multiplication operations.

2. In a calculating machine, the combination with a product register, and means for eifecting plus or alternatively minus registrations therein including power driven reversible actuating means having a driving train provided with oppositely driven clutch elements and control means including a clutch member and manipulable means for controlling said clutch member; of multiplier storage wheels, means for storing multiplier values therein in repeated registration multiplication operations, and means for automatically adjusting said clutch member into engagement with said clutch elements to control the sign character of successive registrations in accordance with values stored in said wheels in positive multiplication or alternatively in negative multiplication operations including a settable composite device having a part settable therewith and also independently settable, means cooperating with and controlled by said multiplier storage wheels for automatically setting said device as an entirety, means including a manipulable device for independently setting said part prior to said automatic setting in negative multiplication operations, a latch for said independently settable part and means for releasing said latch upon restoration of said.

manipulable device.

3. In a calculating machine, the combination with a product register, and means for effecting plus or alternatively minus registrations therein including power driven reversible actuatin means having a driving train provided with oppositely driven clutch elements and control means including a clutch member and manipulable means for controlling said clutch member; of multiplierstorage wheels, means for storing multiplier values therein in repeated registration multiplication operations, and means for automatically adjusting said clutch member into engagement with said clutch elements to control the sign character of successive registrations in accordance with values stored in said wheels in positive multiplication or alternatively in negative multiplication operations including a lever having a slide, means cooperating with and controlled by said multiplier storage wheels for automatically setting said lever and its slide as an entirety, and manipulable means for independently setting said slide prior to said automatic setting in negative multiplication operations.

EDWIN F. BRITTEN, JR. 

